The Master Certificate Scheme 2018
This year the Worshipful Company of Constructors contributed to the Master Certificate Scheme for the first time. The Scheme is part of the Livery Companies Apprenticeship Scheme (LCAS) and its purpose is to encourage career progression in areas of skills identified with the City of London Livery Companies. Over the 16 years or so that the scheme has been running the number of participating companies has been steadily growing, and there are now 21 companies involved, 14 of these presenting certificates, with the Constructors and the Furniture Makers presenting certificates this year. The LCAS hopes to extend the coverage of the scheme to embrace the full range of activities encompassed by the City of London Livery Companies.
On 26th February the Master joined with the Masters of the other participating companies in a ceremony that was held at Glaziers Hall at which the Master of each participating company introduced their nomination for their certificate, which was then presented to the candidate by the Lord Mayor of London, Alderman Charles Bowman, who is pictured above with our nomination, Christian Sullivan, the Master Constructor, Tony Ward and the Chairman of our Charitable Trust, Ken Kent.
As a Company, we are very proud to have joined this excellent scheme as it reinforces our commitment to apprenticeships, which we see as being an excellent way to further the aspirations of artisan craftsmen, who will form the core of people who will ensure that our heritage skills are maintained for the future.
Our nominee, Christian Sullivan, is a Journeyman Stonemason at Salisbury Cathedral and has recently completed his apprenticeship at the Cathedral, which was sponsored by the Company, and the Master believes him to be an excellent choice as our first nominee under the scheme.
Christian Sullivan, said “I was absolutely delighted and honoured to receive the Journeyman Constructor Certificate on Monday as part of the Master Certificate Scheme. The Scheme encourages progression in skills that are recognised by the City of London Livery Companies, including the presenters of my award, the Worshipful Company of Constructors. My heartfelt thanks go to the Company and I will strive to continue in the spirit of the Charge I accepted to receive the award.As well as increasing my confidence it reinforces the importance of passing on skills and knowledge, as was my experience when I first became an apprentice mason. I endeavour to make a contribution by tutoring at our “Have a Go” masonry workshops that we run annually as well as helping our Education and Outreach departments when they bring children in for masonry experience. It is my hope to be part of inspiring a future generation of masons through such efforts”.
Gary Price, the Clerk of Works at Salisbury Cathedral, said “It was such an honour to be invited to the ceremony and it is great to see our younger stone masons succeeding and their hard work and skill being recognised. I was extremely proud to have been there to watch Christian receive his Journeyman award and it is testament to Christian`s dedication and talent. As well as the wide ranging experience he gets from working on Salisbury Cathedral he is also following in the footsteps of the craftsmen and woman that have gone before him. This award is so important in giving Christian the confidence and enthusiasm to pursue his career and to pass on his knowledge to others, he is a great asset to our works team with proven skills learned during his apprenticeship”.
